1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for bringing a wire-shaped or tape-shaped carrier, such as a magnetic tape, into contact with a carrier guide member, such as a drum-like tape guide member in a predetermined position and returning the same to the original position, and more particularly it is concerned with a mechanism for driving and guiding means for moving a wire-shaped or tape-shaped carrier to a predetermined position while being maintained in contact therewith. The system for bringing a carrier into contact with a carrier guide member according to the invention is particularly suitable for use as an apparatus for bringing a magnetic tape into contact with a tape guide member of a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus, for example.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a video tape recorder for household use, it is necessary to bring a magnetic tape into contact with a magnetic tape guide member having a built-in magnetic head for a circumferential extent on the order of more than 180.degree.. An operation for bringing the magnetic tape into contact with the magnetic tape guide member in a predetermined position is very complex and requires a high accuracy. Proposals have been made to use various mechanisms for performing the operation of bringing a magnetic tape into contact with a magnetic tape guide member. One of such mechanisms (for example, that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,399) comprises link means including a plurality of links for driving magnetic tape withdrawing guide means, a mechanism for moving the link means between an operative position and an inoperative position, and guide means for guiding the link means. By moving the link means to the operative position, the tape withdrawing guide means can be actuated to withdraw a magnetic tape from a cassette, to bring the magnetic tape into contact with the magnetic tape guide member.
Some disadvantages are associated with the apparatus for bringing a tape into contact with the tape guide member of the aforesaid construction. The apparatus is very complex in construction and requires a large number of component parts. Thus there are raised the problems of requiring a number of process steps for fabricating the component parts and being low in reliability in the performance of the apparatus.